Road graders and scrapers often have replaceable cutting blades that are attached to a moldboard or bowl, and which need to be replaced when worn out from contact with the ground surface. These blades are generally elongate metal bars that are mounted onto the moldboard or bowl, by bolting them thereto using a number of bolts that pass through corresponding apertures in the moldboard or bowl, and the blade.
Graders and scrapers are quite large and the blades are therefore large and heavy, making them difficult to replace. Not only must the blade be lifted to abut the moldboard or bowl but it must also be positioned properly such that the relatively small apertures in the moldboard or bowl and the blade line up. Then, it must be held in that position until at least a few of the bolts are in place. The blade replacement process is a difficult task that often requires the coordinated efforts of two or more persons, to ensure that the blade is not accidentally dropped before it is secured.
Often, one person operates a grader or scraper in a remote area. When the blade needs to be replaced the person must either replace it themselves, if possible, or call for another person to come to the site to assist in the replacement. What is needed in the art is a means for enabling one person to remove a used blade, and then lift, line up and securely bolt, a new blade to a moldboard or bowl in a manner that is easy, quick and avoids injury.